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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26605771">the ruins of yesterday and tomorrow</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/johnjaemark/pseuds/johnjaemark'>johnjaemark</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentions of Death, Post-Battle of Hogwarts</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:21:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,528</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26605771</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/johnjaemark/pseuds/johnjaemark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In the aftermath of the battle, Johnny searches for his heart.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mark Lee/Suh Youngho | Johnny</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>89</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the ruins of yesterday and tomorrow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/kungod/gifts">kungod</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hogwarts had been Johnny Seo's home for the past six odd years. He had another home, one where his parents greeted him with beaming faces and proud admiration's, and he loved that home, he truly did. Except, that home wasn't Hogwarts, and that home wasn't in the state Hogwarts was. Since he had entered the school at the age of ten, he had known it to be a safe haven to all that had needed it. This morning, however, had torn that safe haven away from them, creating a battle ground instead.</p><p> </p><p>Beneath the gloomy morning sky, clouds opening up to shed their own tears upon the grounds, Hogwarts mourned.</p><p> </p><p>Johnny didn't want to glance down at the ground, didn't want to watch rain water mix with blood and tears. Across the court yard, there were very few cheers of victory, much more wails and screams of horror. Combined with the biting wind and the moans of the dying, Johnny knew that these sounds would continue to haunt him for years to come.</p><p> </p><p>A stab of pain shot through the arm that was holding his wand, and his attention was drawn to the cut that was oozing blood there. He hadn't noticed it until then, much too caught up on surviving to feel anything else. He didn't allow himself much time to dwell on it either, a different, more demanding stab of pain coursing through his chest.</p><p> </p><p><em> Mark, Mark, Mark, Mark</em>, his heart shrieked.</p><p> </p><p>He solemnly agreed with that sentiment, stomach lurching as he took a stumbling step forwards. He was level headed enough to know that he should return inside, make his way to the infirmary patch himself up and then aid the fatally wounded. Even the level headed lost their minds sometimes, though.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Johnny was more than willing to lose his mind for Mark, though.</p><p> </p><p>Mark Lee, Johnny's best friend and so much more.</p><p> </p><p>He was no where in sight and he hadn't been in Johnny's sight for sometime now, at least since the start of the battle. Bile burned at Johnny's throat, his mind forming images of Mark falling on the wrong end of someone's wand. The proud Gryffindor fell to his knees, heaving and coughing, stomach acid burning at his throat and mouth. He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten, not for a good bit of time at least.</p><p> </p><p>"Johnny!"</p><p> </p><p>The voice calling out to him was familiar, and he should have rejoiced, normally would have, at the fact that someone he cared about was alive and well enough to check on him. He <em>was </em>relieved, but it didn't do much to ebb the aching in his chest.</p><p> </p><p>"Johnny," Jaehyun's hand soothed over Johnny's matted hair, dimples no where to be seen as he frowned. "Are you hurt? Are you in shock? Should I call Kun over to look you over?"</p><p> </p><p>Johnny gave a weak shake of his head, still recovering from his dry heaving and unable to make out the words to explain. With the imminent threat of death having passed, Johnny allowed his fingers to relax, his wand clattering to the ground beside his leg. Among the cacophony of death and misery, his wand rolling against the stone didn't seem so loud as it once would have.</p><p> </p><p>Jaehyun gripped Johnny's shoulders tightly, attempting to help him into a more comfortable position. "Johnny, we really ought to get you to someone. You don't look well."</p><p>"I'm fine," Johnny managed to choke out, his eyes glazed over as he took in the scene before him.</p><p> </p><p>Bodies littered the ground, blood puddles growing beneath their prone forms. He gripped his fists, digging his nails into his thighs, and began to start praying to every god he knew. He asked for Mark's safety, for mercy to those who had lost an unkind battle. Tears were beginning to slip down his face and while he was supposed to be brave, in that moment he was more afraid than he had been at any other point that day.</p><p> </p><p>Jaehyun's arms wound around him, gripping tightly, insistently. Hufflepuff's, loyal and kind to a fault, but it wasn't why Jaehyun was staying by Johnny's side. The two had been friend's since that first Welcome Dinner, even further back to the train ride, sharing a compartment and their excitement for what the school might hold for them. Neither of them could have concocted such horrors, even if they had tried.</p><p> </p><p>"It's okay," Jaehyun whispered, fingers knotting in the back of Johnny's sweater. "You're okay. We're alive."</p><p> </p><p>"But what if he's not?" Johnny gasped, cheek pressed to Jaehyun's shoulder. "What if he's not? Is there any point to me being okay if he isn't?"</p><p> </p><p>"Mark wouldn't leave you so easily."</p><p> </p><p>Johnny knew that it was true, but in the moment, it was hard to think of anything other than Mark dying alone somewhere, calling out for Johnny weakly. Mark had been so good his entire life, full of untapped potential and brightness, and it showed in the way that his eyes sparkled brighter than the stars they had fought beneath.</p><p> </p><p>Johnny let out a weak sob before allowing Jaehyun to help him to his feet. It was only when they were standing that Johnny noticed Jaehyun favoring his left leg, wincing when he put too much weight on the right one. Johnny frowned, clapping a hand on his friend's shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>"Go," he said softly, "Find Doyoung, head to the infirmary. I'll find Mark myself, it's okay."</p><p> </p><p>"No, you won't," Jaehyun interrupted him, his eyes straying from Johnny's face. Johnny followed his gaze and let out another small sob, this time from complete relief. A small blur of black and green was headed their way, and then they were both clinging to two shaking figures.</p><p> </p><p>"Tennie, Hyuckie."</p><p> </p><p>The two Slytherin only clinged to them tighter, bodies rattling from sobs that Johnny would hear in his dreams for a terribly long time. Johnny ran a hand through Donghyuck's hair, pressed a lingering kiss to his forehead, needing that moment to truly digest the fact that his best friend was alive and well.</p><p> </p><p>"Hyuck, take Jaehyun to the infirmary, okay? Ten, I need you..." Johnny couldn't bare to finish his sentence, didn't want to force himself to understand the implications of it.</p><p> </p><p>Ten didn't seem to need to hear it, though, already nodding his consent and taking Jaehyun's place at Johnny's side. The two watched their friend's limp away, arms wrapped around each other, impossible to separate.</p><p> </p><p>"If we find him," Ten started slowly, gently, "and we've lost him... What will you do?"</p><p> </p><p>"I don't know," Johnny admitted, shoulders slumping forward. "I really don't know."</p><p> </p><p>Ten nodded, mouth twisting into the slightest of frowns. Ten could be optimistic for them both, but they both knew that there was a fair chance that their golden boy may be gone, that they may have been too late even if they had once promised him they would never abandon him in a time of need.</p><p> </p><p>"Come on." Ten tugged on the torn sleeve of Johnny's sweater. "Let's start looking for him before McGonagall forces us to head inside."</p><p> </p><p>The two made their way across the battle ground, former court yard, and in the process were met with many friends and many heartbreaks. The Weasley's wails of despair could be heard from yards away and Kun's bright disposition was easy to spot. Yet, for all they had found, Mark was not among them. As the students were ushered back into the school, ordered by both their professors and the Ministry workers, Johnny's heart continued to sink.</p><p> </p><p>Surely, there were bodies they had missed. Surely, Mark could have been one of them.</p><p> </p><p>Ten picked up on Johnny's thoughts with ease and steered them in the direction of the infirmary, rather than the Great Hall which was they had initially planned. Johnny shot Ten a perplexed look, but the Slytherin merely shrugged, shooting his friend a brilliant grin.</p><p> </p><p>"You need to get that cut patched up and we have friends there that we really ought to visit," Ten explained, clinging to Johnny's arm as they dragged their feet through the hall, in the direction of the hospital wing. As much as he wanted to protest, he knew that Ten was right and that they both needed their friends and rest.</p><p> </p><p>The infirmary was crowded, all of the beds taken up, several students sitting clustered on the floor and slumped in chairs dragged in from classrooms. Jaehyun was on one of the beds, injured leg stretched in front of him, professionally bandaged. Donghyuck was curled up against him, dozing against his friend's shoulder despite the ruckus in the room. Sitting in a chair beside the bed, Taeyong was holding Donghyuck and Jaehyun's hands, purple bags beneath his eyes, but a gentle smile on his lips.</p><p> </p><p>Taeyong jolted to his feet the moment his eyes laid on them, thin arms winding around them in a hug so strong it took the breath out of Johnny. "Kun made his way here a few moments before you. He's in Madame Pomfrey's office if you want to go see him, Ten. I can take care of Johnny, I promise. And Doyoung should be back from the Great Hall any moment."</p><p> </p><p>Ten hesitated for merely a moment before he was slipping through the crowds of witches and wizards to seek out Kun, and probably Yukhei as well. Taeyong cupped Johnny's face, drawing his attention back to the thin wizard standing before him.</p><p> </p><p>"Come sit," Taeyong instructed quietly, guiding them to the chair that he had just vacated. "I'll have someone come bandage your cut, then I can take you to the Great Hall to eat."</p><p> </p><p>"Taeyong," Johnny intervened, resting a hand over his friend's. "That's okay. You need rest, and quite frankly I'm not very hungry. We can just head back to the dorms after this, yes? You can stay in the Gryffindor dorm, I'd imagine you'd want to be with your friends after everything."</p><p> </p><p>Taeyong wilted beneath his touch, gaze dropping to the floor. "Yes... that would be nice. We can have the others stay there too."</p><p> </p><p>Before either of them could concoct any further plans, Taeyong was whisked out of the way by Renjun, sharp eyes taking in Johnny's injury. It didn't take the young Ravenclaw more than a few minutes to clean and bandage the cut (Renjun was much too drained to attempt an <em>Episkey</em>), insisting that Taeyong and Johnny move along to clear up space for the most severely wounded. Johnny couldn't contest that, and him and Taeyong exited the infirmary, unfortunately without any of their other friends.</p><p> </p><p>The walk back to the Gryffindor dorms was both painfully long and painfully short, a paradox that Johnny couldn't even begin to explain. The halls were cluttered with witches and wizards of all houses and backgrounds, finding comfort in each other's presence. Johnny found himself staring at every face they passed, hoping to find one in particular in the crowd. The sting of disappointment was expected, but it still hurt none the less.</p><p> </p><p>"Are you okay, Johnny?" Taeyong asked as they started up the stairs to the Gryffindor dormitory. The stairs was one of the few places in the castle that was left unpopulated and the sudden silence was nearly deafening. It hadn't been silent, let alone quiet, in hours.</p><p> </p><p>"Yes." Johnny sighed then shook his head. "No. I'm worried about Mark. I couldn't find him, but they made us come back into the castle and Ten insisted that we should get checked over for injuries. I was hoping that if I could just check-"</p><p> </p><p>"Johnny." Taeyong's severe tone made Johnny fall silent instantly. "You won't like to hear this, but Mark is a strong and resourceful wizard. I'm certain he's resting or eating, or perhaps <em>he </em>is looking for <em>you. </em>I think it'd be much easier for him to find you if you were in one place, right?"</p><p> </p><p>Johnny wanted to argue, perhaps simply for the sake of arguing, but truthfully his friend was right. It would be much easier for him and Mark to find each other this way. He wouldn't allow himself to consider any other alternative, he just couldn't.</p><p> </p><p>The Gryffindor common room was hauntingly empty. Johnny wrapped his arms around himself, gripping himself tightly, shivering. He had only seen the room when it was lit up with laughter and joy, and to see it otherwise, was rather terrible. He wished he would have never had to witness it in such a state. Taeyong rested a hand on the small of Johnny's back, guiding him toward the sixth year boys dormitory.</p><p> </p><p>Taeyong reached out, pushed the door open, and Johnny fell to his knees.</p><p> </p><p>Sitting on Johnny's bed, freshly bathed, and half asleep against the propped up pillows, was none other than Mark Lee. His glasses were slipping down his nose, absolutely askew, but in the most endearing way. He was wearing one of Johnny's Quidditch sweaters, the sleeves hanging over his fingers, and his hair was mussed across his forehead.</p><p> </p><p>"Mark!" Johnny choked out, tears spilling out of his eyes from their own volition. "Minhyung!"</p><p> </p><p>Mark jolted fully awake, glasses completely falling off his face. He blinked at the two of them in confusion, before he grasped his bearings, before he fully understood the moment. Once the blurriness from his eyes had cleared, he was clambering down from the bed and onto the floor, pulling Johnny into his grip.</p><p> </p><p>"You're <em>okay</em>," Mark sobbed out, fingers running through Johnny's horribly tangled hair. "Johnny I was so worried! I waited here for hours! I thought you'd come back here first and when it had been awhile I thought the worst. You've always been so brave, so I thought-"</p><p> </p><p>Johnny cut Mark's ramblings off with a prolonged kiss to the lips. Taeyong had stepped out of the room to allow them some privacy, closing the door behind himself, but neither of the Gryffindor's seemed to take much notice of that in the moment. They were too caught up in each other, tangled in one another, a knot that would be much too hard to unravel even if one of them attempted so.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm okay, baby," Johnny breathed the promise against Mark's lips before lifting his head to press a lingering kiss to the mole on Mark's cheek. "You're okay. We're okay."</p><p> </p><p>"We're okay," Mark repeated, nudging his nose against Johnny's.</p><p> </p><p>The wood of the floor bit at their knees, causing more aches where soreness had already formed from hours of battle. A window had been left cracked open, the chill wind biting at their skin where they weren't touching. Johnny was still coated in blood and grime, a mess from the battle that he would not soon forget.</p><p> </p><p>Yet, none of this seemed to matter. Their world had shattered, the pieces scattering in the wind, forming a new world for them, one that they would find a hard time coming to terms with. It was okay, though, they were okay.</p><p> </p><p>Johnny had found his heart, and it was very warm against his chest, soothing the ache that had been there previously.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hello lovelies! this is something that i have been wanting to write for awhile, and finally i sat down and i just slammed it out all in one sitting. if it's something you all like, then perhaps i can make a series out of it! it's unedited at the moment but i hope to come back and edit it in the future. i hope you like it mwah.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/slutforjseo">twitter</a> | <a href="https://curiouscat.me/nanasbun">cc</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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